Akodu S.O., Diaku-Akinwumi I.N., Kehinde O.A., Njokanma O.F.
Department of Pediatrics, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria
Akodu, S.O., Department of Pediatrics, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; Diaku-Akinwumi, I.N., Department of Pediatrics, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; Kehinde, O.A., Department of Pediatrics, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; Njokanma, O.F., Department of Pediatrics, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria
Background: Sickle cell anemia may affect linear growth, and complications like avascular necrosis of femoral head may make direct measurement of height difficult.Objective: To determine the relationship between height and arm span as well as between height and sitting height among children with sickle cell anemia in Lagos, Nigeria.Methodology: A random sample of 200 children aged 8 months to 15 years were studied—100 with hemoglobin genotype SS and 100 with hemoglobin genotype AA, matched for age and sex. Height/length, sitting height, and arm span were measured. Correlations and regression analysis were performed to test the relationship between height as a dependent variable and the sitting height and arm span as independent variables.Results: Height, arm span, and sitting height were slightly but not significantly lower in subjects with sickle cell anemia. Strong correlations (R ≥ 0.95) were observed between height and other measurements in both subgroups. Regression analysis with height as the independent variable showed that arm span had a higher coefficient of determination than sitting height in both subjects (R2 = 0.94 vs 0.899) and controls (R2 = 0.942 vs 0.940). On the other hand, sitting height had a lower mean difference between observed and predicted height (0.04 and −0.11, respectively).Conclusion: Sitting height may be the preferred proxy for height in children with sickle cell anemia. © 2014, © American College of Nutrition.
hemoglobin; adolescent; anthropometric parameters; anthropometry; arm span; Article; child; comparative study; controlled study; correlation analysis; cross-sectional study; descriptive research; follow up; general device; genotype; human; infant; infantometer; major clinical study; Nigeria; preschool child; sample size; school child; sickle cell anemia; sitting height; stadiometer; Anemia, Sickle Cell; arm; body height; female; male; morphometrics; procedures; statistics and numerical data; Adolescent; Anemia, Sickle Cell; Arm; Body Height; Body Weights and Measures; Child; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Infant; Male; Nigeria